Express versions of larger restaurants / stores?

Express versions of larger restaurants / stores?

Hello everyone - new to the board! I'm trying to find out which larger restaurants / stores (chains or independent) also have smaller, express versions, usually with the parent's name followed with the word "Express" or something similar. These express versions are often found at airports and in shopping malls. I did a Google search for "express version of restaurant" and all I found was:Trattoria Romana Express An Express version of Trattoria Romana in Lincoln Does anybody have any tips?

If you do a Google search for "fast food express", at the bottom of the page under "Searches related to fast food express", you can click on mcdonalds express, subway express, taco bell express, sonic express, and kfc express to go to more websites. That should give you a start.

Thanks! That's a great start. The KFC / KFC Express and Taco Bell / Taco Bell Express are perfect examples of what I'm after. If anybody has any more suggestions, they will be most welcome - especially restaurants with maybe one location, that also have an Express version in the area.

Sorry, I don't get it! If it's a Fast Food Restaurant, WHY would you need a Fast Food Express Restaurant??? Is Fast Food not fast enough???Fast Food is too slow so-----"We're Serving Fast Food at the speed of light!!!!!! Or Faster!" Get Real People!!!

Haha - I was especially after non-fast food restaurants, but I get your point. By adding the word Express to a number of popular, regular restaurants I've found Denny's Fresh Express, Bennigan's Express and IHOP Express so far.

If you go to urbanspoon.com for any city and type in the word "Express" in the search function, it will pull up all the restaurants with "Express" in their name. In Phoenix there are 102 of them, (Some repeats for chains). Mostly Asian food places. http://www.urbanspoon.com/s/22?q=+Express

Sorry, I don't get it! If it's a Fast Food Restaurant, WHY would you need a Fast Food Express Restaurant???Is Fast Food not fast enough???Fast Food is too slow so-----"We're Serving Fast Food at the speed of light!!!!!! Or Faster!" Get Real People!!!

Perhaps for the Express version of Fast Food they prepare the entire day's food before they open up and keep it in holding cabinets. That way, when you order they just have to reach in and grab it.

Sorry, I don't get it! If it's a Fast Food Restaurant, WHY would you need a Fast Food Express Restaurant??? Is Fast Food not fast enough??? Fast Food is too slow so-----"We're Serving Fast Food at the speed of light!!!!!! Or Faster!" Get Real People!!!

Sometimes I would prefer it if the food comes to me before I realize I am too hungry to go anywhere.

I disagree Foodbme, almost by definition, the only "express" versions of restaurants are parts of chains. I'm not aware of any local or regional chains with express outlets, but know of many national ones.

I disagree Foodbme, almost by definition, the only "express" versions of restaurants are parts of chains. I'm not aware of any local or regional chains with express outlets, but know of many national ones.

Well, just off the top of my head (and practically within eyesight of my office window) is Fresco on the Go, an "express" version of the upscale Fresco By Scotto. They also have a location downtown and (I believe) in Yankee Stadium.

Brother Jimmy's BBQ in NY also has an "express" stand in Grand Central Terminal.

And in a role-reversal: the greatest food cart in the world, Hallo Berlin has a brick and mortar location which they call Hello Berlin Express.

To me, "Express" is a pure marketing term to put a positive spin on something negative or limited or both.

Express reminds me of express lanes on highways through big cities. The express lanes move fast but they severely limit exits that you can make.

Express <anything> is sort of implying (marketing wise) that it's a sped up faithful version of the original for important busy people on the go.

In reality I'm thinking it's probably going to be a crappy branch location of an already mediocre chain like Pizza Hut where they basically just microwave everything that is served because there are no cooking skills in the staff at the express locations. IE, packaged food at restaurant prices.

An express version of an independent, I would still be infinitely suspicious that it's a cut down mediocre hinterland version of the good stuff, but that is just my cussed nature.

I disagree Foodbme, almost by definition, the only "express" versions of restaurants are parts of chains. I'm not aware of any local or regional chains with express outlets, but know of many national ones.

How about the Frontera Fresco in SF? I think there is one at Ohare maybe as well? Its an "express" or fast version of Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill. Not a chain. In my opinion the original is perfect roadfood. and the "express" one is just that- a fast version at Macys

There are two places in Milwaukee that have express windows, and ARE NOT fast food. One is Serb Hall, which has pretty good fish fries. The other is, um, a prime rib place on the south side, which I suddenly cant rememeber. It is definately a fine dining restaurant.

Foodbme Sorry, I don't get it! If it's a Fast Food Restaurant, WHY would you need a Fast Food Express Restaurant??? Is Fast Food not fast enough??? Fast Food is too slow so-----"We're Serving Fast Food at the speed of light!!!!!! Or Faster!" Get Real People!!!

Perhaps for the Express version of Fast Food they prepare the entire day's food before they open up and keep it in holding cabinets. That way, when you order they just have to reach in and grab it.

Plenty of great replies so far. I'm sure some food types aren't all that terrible if they have previously been frozen or refrigerated - though some do taste better if not frozen - take In-N-Out burgers / fries versus the other burger places.

For example, I enjoy frozen Indian curries from Trader Joes here in Los Angeles, and they are extremely delicious after being turned from a block of ice to a Chicken Tikka Masala following about 3-4 minutes in the microwave. In fact, when I make curries at home from scratch, the frozen-and-then-reheated versions seem to have improved slightly in taste over the just-cooked version I made a couple of days before. Go figure!